Electrical railway signaling system.



No. 809,515. PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

M. H. LOUDON. ELECTRICAL RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 29, 1905.

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Witnesses: mug Z70MOTZ Lnventor, I V A I I l V UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRICAL RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed June 29, 1905. Serial No, 267,593.

To all whom it may oonccrw Be it known-that l, MILTON H. LoUDoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Electrical Railway Signaling System, of which the following is a specification.

invention relates to a railway signaling system, and more particularly to one adapted in a positive manner to prevent head-on or rear-end collisions.

The object of the invention is to provide a system in which when two trains are on the same track, either .approaching each other head-on or one approaching the other from the rear, when a predetermined point has been reached a visual and audible signal may be given to both engineers at the same time, thereby to give ample warning to the engineers and in time to permit them to slow down or stop.

A further object is to provide means operating automatically, in the event that either or both of the first-named signals be disregarded, to cause an application of the airbrakes, thus to prevent collisions.

A further object is to provide a circuit, including a telephone and a Morse sounder, thereby to permit the sending of either telephonic and telegraphic communications from one engine to another or to any car of a train or to stations located along the road in either direction.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel arrangement of parts of a railway signaling system, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a view in the nature of a diagram exhibiting the system as applied in part to a locomotive-cab: Fig. 2 is a r'ragmentary detail view of a part of the apparatus.

As above stated, it is one of the objects of the invention to insure initially the exhibiting of a visual signal or the sounding of an audible one when two engines on the same track are approaching or following each other. This is accomplished by the employment of a main circuit 1, which includes a source of electrical energy, such as a storagebattery 2, a rheostat 3, incandescent lamps 4, which will preferably be colored red, and a hell 5. The conductor 6, including the rheostat, lamp, and bell, connects with a solenoidmagnet 7, the core of which. is attached in any suitable manner to the engineers brakevalve 8, the circuit to the ground being completed through a conductor- 9, which may connect with the axle of the drive-wheel 10.

Secured to the roof of the cab 11 is a trolley-pole 12, the wheel 13 of which is adapted to engage an overhead conductor 14 in the usual manner, the wheel being kept in contact with the conductor by a spring 15. Connecting with the trolley-pole is one end of a conductor 16, having two branches 17 and 18, each of which terminate, respectively, in a contact-point 19 and 20, arranged in the path of movement of a telephone-hook 21. The circuit from the trolley is completed through the rheo'stat, lamps, solenoid, and to the ground by a conductor 22, one terminal of which is provided with a contact-point 23, arranged in the path of movement of the telephone-hook, and the other terminal of which connects with the source of electrical energy, in this instance the secondary battery 2.

The transmitter 24 is embraced in a local circuit 25, including a primary battery 26, one terminal of the circuit 25 terminating in a contact-point 27, arranged over the telephone-hook. The other terminal of the circuit 25 which includes an induction-coil 28, terminates in a contact-point 29, arranged over the telephone-hook. The receiver 30 is included in the circuit 31, having an induction-coil 32, and is tappedinto the conductor 9.

In order to efiect the sending of telegraphic messages, there is a circuit 33 provided including a Morse sounder 34 and a switch 35, one terminal of the circuit being tapped into the conductor 17 and the other into the conductor 31. V

Of course, as is common with systems of this kind, the rheostat will be set at such a resistance as to prevent the signaling portion of the system and the solenoid-magnet from operating until the trains are within danger distance, so that so long as there be no danger of collision the said parts of the system are inert. Now when two trains traveling in the same or opposite directions reach the beginning of the danger-line the resistance of the rheostat is overcome, and the lamps 4 will first glow and will give a visual signal and. at the same time the bell will ring. If no attention he paid to these signals, the force of the current, owing to the continued movement of the trains, will increase, thereby energizing the solenoid-magnet, which will operate the engineers brake-valve and apply the air-brake. Of course it will be understood that normally the receiver is on the hook 21, so that the, circuit, including the transmitter and sounder, is dead. When it is desired to send a telephone or telegraph message, the receiver is withdrawn from the hook, thereby cutting in the local circuit and cutting out the main circuit, under which conditions only the primary battery 26 comes into play. The transmitter is kept from the hook until either the message through the telephone or by the sounder is completed.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that although the system herein described is exceedingly simple in construction that it will be thoroughly ellicient in use for the purpose designed and will in a manner that will prove entirely practical prevent accidents upon-railways.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. An electrical railway signaling system embodying a normally closed main circuit including a source of electrical energy, arheostat and a solenoid-magnet operatively connected with the engineers brake-valve, and a normally open local circuit including a telephone and a Morse sounder, the two circuits being opened or closed by the telephonehook.

2. An electrical railway signaling system embodying a normally closed main circuit including a source of electrical energy, a rheostat, visual and audible signaling mechanism, and a solenoid-magnet operatively connected with the engineers brake-valve, and a normally open local circuit including a telephone and a Morse sounder, and means actuated by the telephone-receiver either to open or to close the two circuits.

3. In an electrical railway signaling sys term, a normally closed main circuit including a source of electrical energy, a rheostat, and an electrically-actuated element operatively connected with the engineers brakevalve, and a normally opencircuit including a Morse sounder and a telephone, the opening and closing of the two circuits being controlled by the telephone-hook.

4. In an electrical railway signaling system, a normally closed main circuit including visual and audible signaling mechanism, and a solenoid-magnet combined with the engineers brake-valve, and a normally open 10- cal circuit including a telephone.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. I

MILTON H. LOUDON.

VVitnesses:

R. M. ELLIOTT, J. H. JocI-IUM, Jr. 

